The Aftermath
by Potterotica
Summary: The Battle of Hogwarts is over. Both the physical and emotional wounds are beginning to heal, but the memories of those who were lost threaten to crush everyone.
1. Chapter 1

A/N: I own none of these characters. But J.K. Rowling does!

Chapter 1

Harry stood on the now-repaired steps of Hogwarts, gazing out into the sunset. The lake glinted in the fading light, and he could just make out Dumbledore's tomb in the distance. Two days ago, he had replaced the Elder Wand to whom Harry considered the rightful owner, and had stood vigil for a few hours after. He had done so alone, as he stood alone right now. He preferred things that way. Those who had remained behind to help clean-up efforts at the school had begun to treat Harry with a sort of divine reverence, for which Harry had little tolerance.

Well, he shouldn't say that _all_ treated him that way. There were a few notable exceptions. Harry was treated no differently by neither Ron, Hermione, Luna, Neviille, nor the entire Weasley family.

"The Weasleys," Harry murmured. Every time he thought of their family and what they gave to the fight he felt sick with guilt. Fred was gone, because of _him_. Harry had caused Mr. and Mrs. Weasley, George, Ron, the others, and worst of all Ginny, an immeasurable amount of pain. He couldn't fathom how he could be forgiven, so he had done what he did best: avoided everyone.

Ironically, what Harry longed to do most was to comfort those he hurt. His arms ached to be around Ginny, pressing her body into his, inhaling the sweet fragrance of her hair, soothing all of her pain and never letting her away from him again. But he couldn't bring himself to do it. He avoided almost everyone, trying to stay busy helping with cleanup, taking solitary walks around the grounds, taking his meals in the kitchens, or pretending to be asleep in Gryffindor tower.

Truth be told, what Harry pondered on these solitary ventures made him feel even more guilty. Because while he mourned the dead, he also worried about what he was supposed to do now. Now that Voldemort was gone forever, Harry's entire world had opened up. For once, Harry felt like a normal teenager, trying to get a handle on things. It was a wonderful feeling, but entirely inappropriate given the circumstances.

Harry felt movement beside him. He looked over to see that Luna had joined him.

"Hello, Harry Potter." Luna greeted.

"Hey Luna." Harry replied.

Luna didn't look at him, but started to watch the setting sun. Harry looked again too. They stood in silence for a few minutes. That was one of the many great things about Luna; she never really cared if there was conversation. She was equally comfortable in silence, which Harry appreciated.

Finally, she broke it.

"Coming to dinner?" She asked.

"I don't think so."

"Are you sure? The pudding will be good."

Harry chuckled. "I'll bet it will be." Harry sighed and continued in a slightly lower voice, "Are they all in there?"

"Yes. And they're quite worried about you. They're going to be leaving in the morning." Luna responded.

Harry had been worried about that. He didn't respond to Luna's statement.

"Don't you want to go and talk with them? They're having a tough time of it too, you know."

"I know Luna. It's just…" Harry trailed off.

Luna just looked up at him with her big eyes and waited. She blinked a few times before Harry finally got the guts to finish.

"It's just, I can't be around them without feeling that it's my fault." Harry was ashamed and put his face in his hands. He continued speaking through his twined fingers. "How can I sit with them as family, when I know that I helped in his death?"

"I didn't realize that you had been the one who had blasted the wall apart." Luna replied calmly.

Harry was shocked. "I wasn't!"

"Then how did you have anything to do with Fred's death?" she asked.

"Because he was there, fighting MY fight. Every death, on both sides, was MY fault. How can they not be?"

Harry looked at Luna with pleading eyes. For some reason, he felt that he could confess this to her, without her judging him. And he hoped beyond hope that she would have an answer for him.

"Harry" Luna began. "Sometimes, you are the most self-centered, ridiculous person on the face of the earth."

Luna had stated this all matter-of-factly, and Harry's mouth actually dropped open.

"Wh…what?" Harry stuttered.

"Do you honestly believe that if it had been somebody else who had led the battle, that any of us would have responded differently? Would we not have come here and fought?" She asked.

He thought for a moment. "Yes, you would have. And I would've joined in as well." He answered.

"Exactly." Luna said. "You may want to think that it was your fight, but in truth, it was _our_ fight. Contrary to popular opinion, most of us don't want to be enslaved, forced to perform dark magic, and torture Muggles."

At that, Harry gave a weak laugh.

"Nobody died in vain." She continued softly, lightly touching his arm.

"I know you're right." He paused. "You know, Luna, I must say that this has been the most coherent conversation that I've ever had with you. What's changed?" He asked.

Luna laughed. "Well, when all of your friends fight for their lives, then see one of them come back from the dead, it tends to give you some perspective."

"I suppose it does." Harry replied.

Luna sighed. "Enough of this sunset. Get into the Great Hall and eat. Quit hiding out. People are going to start thinking that you're weird."

"You're right." Harry agreed. "Thanks Luna. You're a good friend."

"I suppose I am. You are too, despite what I've heard."

With that, Luna drifted back through the entryway and headed towards the clamor of dinner being served. Harry sighed, and with one last look at the setting sun, he too made his way into the Great Hall.


	2. Chapter 2

A/N: I own none of these characters, but J.K. Rowling does.

Chapter 2

Feeling more than slightly ashamed of himself, Harry walked through the archway into the cavernous Great Hall. The ceiling overhead resembled the sky that he had just left at the doorway. The Hall itself was taking on a less-destroyed look. There were only two House tables left (the others having been demolished in battle), and now they were about half full of people, chatting, laughing, crying, as they began the evening meal. The dead, which three days ago saw them lining the walls of this room, had been transported to wherever their loved ones had requested. The funerals started tomorrow, with Fred's being first. Harry was attending as many of them as he could. He felt that it was more than his duty; it was his privilege.

At Harry's entrance into the hall, the humdrum noise ceased immediately and all eyes turned in his direction. Harry could feel his face burning and looked straight ahead, making out the Weasleys towards the front of the Hall. He moved as quickly as he could towards them, feeling everyone's eyes upon him. It was terribly uncomfortable, and the walk seemed to take years.

Most of the Weasley family was there. The notable exceptions were Bill and Charlie, who had left early to prepare for the funeral the next day. Hermione was also sitting with them, next to Ron when Harry approached.

"Wo…would it be okay if I joined you?" Harry asked, nervously.

"Of course, Harry dear." Mrs. Weasley replied.

Everyone stared as Harry sat down opposite Hermione, next to Mr. Weasley. And although he didn't dare look, Harry could feel Ginny's gaze on him, and he squirmed uncomfortably. The buzz in the hall started to pick back up, for which he was grateful. He looked up to see Hermione giving him a look.

"What?" He asked.

"Oh nothing." She replied. "I just wondered if you finally decided to take your head out of your ass."

Ron choked on his glass of pumpkin juice.

"Hermione!" He exclaimed.

"What?" She retorted. "Harry's been wallowing for the past three days and I think it's been ridiculous."

"Well you're not the only one." Harry muttered.

"Huh?" Ron asked.

"Luna just gave me a what-for on the steps. Pretty much told me the same thing." Harry responded.

"I always liked Luna." Ron stated. "Good head on her shoulders, Old Loony's got."

Hermione playfully swatted him on the arm. Ron pretended to be badly hurt at which Hermione was immediately sorry. Then Ron grinned, and Hermione swung at him for real, to which Ron ducked, but then pecked her on the cheek. Hermione was outraged, but then Ron had her arms pinned to her sides and began to kiss her more in earnest.

Harry had been helping himself to mashed potatoes when this occurred, and groaned.

"Look mates, I'm really happy for you, but people are trying to eat here." Harry said.

The kiss broke, and Ron and Hermione looked sheepishly away from each other.

"Sorry mate." Ron muttered.

Harry grimaced, then made the mistake of looking down the table. He caught Ginny's eye and looked away quickly, focusing instead on adding gravy to his potatoes.

"She's a mess you know." Hermione whispered, taking advantage of the fact that Ron was having a conversation with Mr. Weasley.

"Who?" Harry asked innocently, trying to look confused.

"Don't play that game with me." Hermione retorted. "You need to talk to her. When she thought that you had died…" She trailed off, and Harry couldn't bear to hear it anymore.

Tears pricked at his eyes, threatening to spill over, but he blinked them back. He stared down at his plate, trying to control his emotions. The last thing in the world that he wanted was to cause Ginny, sweet, beautiful, amazing Ginny, any more pain. He made a promise to himself that he would speak to her, tonight.

A/N: Sorry this chapter was so short! The next ones will be longer. Promise


	3. Chapter 3

A/N: I own none of these characters. J.K. Rowling owns all!

Chapter 3

Harry had to admit that it was much nicer for his peace of mind to be around those he cared about most. He spent most of the evening talking with Ron and Hermione, explaining everything that had happened to him, starting with Snape's memories in the Pensieve, and ending with pulling off the Invisibility Cloak in the Great Hall. In the end, it was past 9 p.m. when they finally headed up to Gryffindor Tower.

Hermione had told him that Ginny had been staying in her dormitory. Ron and Hermione explained that they had been sleeping in the first year boys' dormitory ("Nothing's happened" Ron had muttered), along with Neville ("In a separate bed, you dolt"), so that they could give Harry his space. Harry was nervous as he climbed through the portrait hole, and even more so when he saw the glint of red hair in the firelight, sitting in an armchair by the fire. Hermione grabbed Ron's hand and bid him a quick goodnight, thundering up the stairs.

Harry was rooted to the spot, throat dry, and mind blank. Ginny continued to stare into the fire for what seemed like an eternity until she finally spoke.

"Do you know what was the worst thing?" she asked, as if this had been the middle of a conversation that had been interrupted. She turned her head from the fire and met Harry's eyes.

Harry started to move, as if hypnotized towards her. He didn't answer her until he was seated in the armchair next to hers, angled towards each other.

"What?" Harry whispered.

"That, after I knew that I had lost my brother, that I had lost you too." Ginny's eyes searched Harry's, blue meeting green, as if she was trying to lift a response from Harry's mind. "But I think I've lost you anyway."

At this, Harry was stunned. He shook his head, as if to shake the idea out of his mind.

"What do you mean?" He asked.

"Because the only reason that you would be with me now would be out of guilt." Ginny replied. "Guilt over Fred. Guilt over… everything. And I don't want that."

"What are you talking about?"

Ginny looked into his eyes again. "Don't you feel guilty?"

"Yes. Incredibly so." Harry responded. "But why would that affect me wanting to be with you?"

"Because it would make being together feel like an obligation." Ginny replied. "It would be the whole 'I dumped her once because it was too dangerous to be together, so now that its safe I should probably go back to her' type of thing, and I don't want that."

"So you think that I don't feel the same way about you? That my feelings have changed since last year?"

"Haven't they?" Ginny whispered looking down at her hands clasped in her lap.

Harry took the tip of his finger and placed it under Ginny's chin, raising her face until her eyes met with his. A single tear rolled down her cheek at the answer that she thought he was going to give.

"Of course not." Harry whispered back. "You are all that I think about."

They stared into each other's eyes for a minute, before she finally broke the silence.

"Then why has it taken you so long? Three days?" Ginny asked, desperately.

Harry dropped his hand from Ginny's face and reached for her hand. He intertwined his fingers through hers before he spoke.

"I'm so sorry." He began. He lowered his eyes so that he was now looking at their hands. "It's just… I thought that _you_ wouldn't want to be with _me_." He confessed. "I thought that you would blame me for Fred's… death, and that you wouldn't want to be with someone who couldn't protect the things that you love."

"That's ridiculous." Ginny said, forcefully. "That wasn't your fault. How could you have prevented it?"

Harry let his head fall into his free hand, ashamed once again. "I don't know." He looked back up at Ginny. "But if I could have, I would have."

Ginny reached up and stroked his face with her other hand. "I know you would have." She paused. "But I'm still happy that you're here with me now, even if you've been acting like an idiot for the past couple of days."

"I'm sorry. I know that I'll never be able to make it up to you."

Ginny continued to stroke his cheek. "You can try. I'm sure I'll think of something." She whispered.

At her touch, Harry couldn't help but break into a wide smile. Ginny returned it in kind, and they relished the thought of being together, with no threat of any kind keeping them apart. They sat in silence, holding hands, for some time. Somewhere, a clock chimed eleven. It was Harry who broke the silence.

"We should probably get up to bed." He said.

Ginny nodded. They got up stiffly, and headed towards the spiral staircase. Harry wanted nothing more than to wrap his arms around her and hold her close, and kiss her profusely, but he fought against it. Instead, he took both hands and placed them on either side of Ginny's face. He leaned in and kissed her lightly on the forehead. He inhaled, catching the flowery scent.

"Good night." He whispered.

"Good night." She whispered back.

He waited at the bottom of her staircase until he heard the door open and close, then turned reluctantly to his own. He made his way up to his dormitory, closing the door behind him. He changed into his pajamas and got into his old four-poster bed. He lay there, not remotely tired, going over the conversation with Ginny again and again in his mind. He felt like his heart was going to burst out of his chest, he was so happy. She wanted him. She wanted him the way that he wanted her. And he was going to hold on for dear life.

Harry thought that he heard the dormitory door open and close, and assumed it was Ron, coming in to get something. He was quite surprised when he heard a female voice whispering his name.

"Harry?"

"Ginny? Is that you?" Harry asked, squinting into the darkness, glasses on his nightstand.

"Uh… yeah. I was just wondering… would it be alright if I stayed here with you tonight?" She asked.

"Of course."

That was all that Ginny needed to hear. Before Harry knew it, Ginny was lifting up the covers of the bed, sliding in next to him. He moved over slightly, to give her room. She laid her head against his shoulder and wrapped her arms around his chest. His arms wound their way around her torso, clinging her to him. Her hair tickled his nostrils, the scent of her driving him to the edge of madness. He hoped that she wouldn't be able to hear his heart, pounding an erratic rhythm in his chest. Ginny's bare legs pressed against his own under the covers as she tried to make herself more comfortable.

"Thanks." Ginny whispered.

"Anytime." Harry replied.

She giggled. One of her hands had found its way to Harry's neck, and she lay stroking it, moving it up now and again to play with his ear. He reached up and stroked her hair, from the top of her head to the middle of her back. They lay quiet for a while, just listening to the sound of one another's hearts.

"You know, I've wanted to do this for a few days now." Ginny confessed.

"Only a few days? I thought that I was much more desirable than that." Harry teased.

"Haha." She replied, scornfully. "But ever since that first night after the battle. You were all I wanted." She replied.

"Same goes here." Harry responded.

"Well then, let's make up for lost time."

Without hesitation, Ginny's lips found Harry's and all of his worries went out the window. Nothing mattered; not his future, not his past. There was only now; there was only Ginny. Her body pressed against his as she wrapped her arms around his neck to pull her body closer. Harry's hand found it's way to the back of her head, holding her mouth in place while his other hand planted itself on the small of her back. He rolled, so that now he was on top of her, but he was careful not to let her feel any of his weight. He held himself gingerly, until she wrapped one of her legs around his waist, anchoring his hips against hers. She sighed, and parted her lips. Her tongue traced the lines of Harry's lips until they too parted. His tongue met hers as they slipped past each other. Harry moved his hand from the back of her head to her cheek, exploring her face with his fingertips. He didn't know for how long they kissed, but he knew that he never wanted it to stop. He was a little shocked when Ginny suddenly grabbed his hand and directed it south, placing it on the underside of one of her breasts so that he was cupping it. He let his thumb graze across the upraised portion that was her nipple and heard her stifle a gasp beneath his lips. Her lips became more urgent still as her hands tugged at the bottom of Harry's nightshirt. He reluctantly moved his hand from her breast while she pulled it over his head.

As his shirt came off, the moonlight fell across Ginny's face as she gazed up at Harry. Her eyes were bright with excitement and a new kind of hunger. With steady hands and without breaking the gaze, Ginny unbuttoned her own shirt and let it fall to the floor.

Harry had never seen anything more beautiful than Ginny's bare chest, practically glowing from the light coming in from the window. Her breasts danced as she breathed in and out and her hair splayed across the pillow. Hating the distance between them Harry lowered his lips to hers once more. Ginny's arms found their way to his neck and pulled him so close that there was not an inch of room between their naked torsos. Harry's lips met Ginny's again and again, while his hands roamed the expanse of her upper body. Her hands brushed up and down his back, through his hair, down his arms, covering every inch of bare flesh. Harry broke the kiss and his lips explored the creamy expanse of her neck and her collarbone.

The dormitory door opened, whispers trickling in. Harry and Ginny froze, both of them opening their eyes wide in terror. Then, quicker than lightening both of their shirts were back on and they were feigning sleep when they heard whispered voices.

"Ron! I told you she was alright!" whispered Hermione. "You see, she's there, with Harry. And nothing's happening. Can't we go back to bed now?"

"But they're in the same BED." Ron retorted.

"Big deal! We've been sleeping in the same bed too!"

"That's different!" Ron replied indignantly.

"You are unbelievable!" Hermione hissed. "We can't argue here, I don't want to wake them up! Let's go!"

Ron and Hermione ceased their whispered argument and left, shutting the door behind them. Ginny erupted into a fit of silent giggles and then groaned.

"You'd think we were 5 years-old the way they're behaving." She said.

"And you'd think they'd been married for 50 years." Harry replied. He chuckled, though the thought of throwing Ron through the window for his untimely interruption did cross his mind. Harry leaned in and kissed Ginny's forehead. "Perhaps this isn't the best time or place."

"I hate to say it, but I think you're right." Ginny sighed. "But on the upside, you do own your own house now. So maybe this can be a 'to be continued' situation." She grinned up at him.

Harry grinned back. "I'm gonna hold you to that." He wrapped his arms more tightly around her and the two of them finally fell into a deep, peaceful slumber.

A/N: Thoughts so far? I'd love to know! This is an old story that I found while putzing around on my computer, so I hope everything is to your liking!


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